William gates



w. GATES.

Electro-Plating Apparatus.

Patented July" 28, I868.

guitar: gtatrsghatmtt ffirs.

WILLIAM GATES, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND GEORGE W. HOMAN, OF THE SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 80,402, dated July 28, 1868.

IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR ELI-IGTRO-PLATING.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM GATES, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven, and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Apparatus for Electro-Plating; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon,

to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, and which said drawings constitute partof this specification, and represent, iu-

Figure 1, a View of the instrument, and in Figure 2 the manner of using. The object of this invention is chiefly to perform electro-plated work, that is to say, to'recoat the spots or parts which have been worn, but the articles themselves may be entirelyplatcd' by-this instrument; and'the invention consists in combining, within a zinc socket, a sponge or washer,

eating, to the article to be plated, a connection, to maintain the electric current.

In order to the clear understanding of my invention, I will fully describe the same as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

A is a socket of zinc, fixed upon a handle, B, the said socket fitted with any fibrous material or sponge G, and from the said socket A extends a metallic wire, D, attached to a copper or suitable metallic holder, E. This completes the construction of the instrument. Its operation is as follows:

i Dip or moisten the sponge C, so as to dampen the socket A, in any solution of silver, is desired to plate with. Take the plate or thing to be plated, F, within the holder E, as seen in fig. 2, then, with the other hand, apply the sponge C, charged with the solution of proper metal, to the thing to be plated, and. an electric current is at once created, and the metal plated in as thorough and perfect manner as could be done in the common battery, and by this simple instrument it will be readily seen that any spot or damaged s urface of the plated material may bereplated, and if upon a polished surface,

or whatever metal it and from the said socket communi rub the surface with the sponge while plating, then, when the surface is washed, it will be found to be polished or burnished as perfectly as was the.

original surface.

The same instrument may be used for cleaning plated w to the plating every time it is thus cleaned.

' The same result will be attained by attaching the end of the wire D, (whichds hero represented as-attached to the holder E,) to the'article to be plated, but, for convenience, I prefer to attach it to the holder.

Having fully described my invention, what I.claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters are, thereby at a comparatively, smallcost, adding Patent, isp As a new article of manufacture, the instrument, consisting of thezinc socket, with its sponge or brush C and connecting-wire D, with or without the holder E, so as to operate in'tbe manner substantially as specified.

' WM. GATES.

Witnesses:

A. J. TIDBITS, J. H. SHUMWAY. 

